5-year-old Andover girl identified as child killed by tractor trailer

Local

Her family is now calling on town officials to take steps to make the intersection where she died safer for pedestrians.

The family of 5-year-old Sidney Mae Olson has identified her as the child struck and killed by a tractor trailer in Andover Tuesday evening.

What happened

Sidney, an Andover resident, was hit around 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of Elm and Main Streets.

In a statement released through the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, Sidney’s family said they were walking to an art class on Main Street when she and another family member entered the crosswalk while the walk sign was on.

“As long-time residents of the neighborhood, we’ve followed that route hundreds of times before,” Sidney’s family wrote. “The rest was a blur, and Sidney was struck by a truck and killed, leaving an impossible void in our lives.”

The other family member who was in the crosswalk when Sidney was killed was not hit by the vehicle.

Police said previously that the driver of the tractor trailer stopped after Sidney was hit and was cooperative with police. It is unclear if they will face charges.

Remembering Sidney

“Sidney was a bright-eyed, energetic girl with springy curls,” her family wrote. “…She was known for her soft-spoken curiosity, and her budding ability to deescalate conflict and find common ground in groups.”

“[Sidney] was fiercely creative, styling her own outfits, choreographing elaborate performances, and filling our home with her unique brand of abstract art, unlike anything we’ve seen,” her family wrote.

“She picked flowers everywhere she went, often plucking a rose from the garden in front of Enterprise Bank, despite her parents’ objections. She memorized every lyric to a dozen Taylor Swift songs, gladly taking the microphone to sing along in crowded karaoke sessions.”

For Sidney’s last birthday, she wanted a “rainbow” theme, because “it includes everyone’s favorite color,” her family wrote.

Preventing another tragedy

Sidney’s family is now asking town officials to take steps to make the intersection of Elm and Main Streets safer. They say it has long been considered dangerous.

“While we’re not engineers, we also know our community can do better,” they wrote. “We hope the town makes fast changes to that and other high-traffic intersections so no one has to experience the pain we feel right now.”

“On behalf of the Town of Andover, I express our sincere condolences to the family of the child whose life was tragically cut short,” Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said in a statement Thursday. “We share in the grief that has been expressed by members of our community over the past twenty-four hours.”

In the statement, Flanagan indicated that the town is looking at ways to make the intersection safer.

“Last week, at Andover’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved funding for a traffic study for the Elm Square intersection,” Flanagan said in the statement. “The Town will thoroughly assess this area and act to implement any improvements deemed necessary.”